LoZMon (Title in extreme Alpha - suggestions welcome!)
by Darkford
Summary: Link is bored. Saving the world left him with nothing to challenge himself with, and his competitive spirit rises from his peaceful Ordon life to revisit the Arbiter's Grounds. Instead, he finds Midna, who sends him off to be free as he was supposed to be. But is that all there is to it? And what's with Pokémon? Not totally serious, T is to be safe. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Link stretched in his treetop house as he did every morning, letting his muscles loosen and his tense feelings from overnight release. Blinking into the sunlight, he threw the window open and looked down on the small town of Ordon.

"Mornin', Link!" The Goat-Farmer, Fado, called from his customary position, as he did every morning. "Get out Epona, can you? The Goats are getting rowdy again!"

Link replied with a curt nod, hopping prodigiously down from his perch and running out the door. He may have only been seventeen, but he was strong.

It was what resulted of being the world's hero, after all.

He unhooked Epona from her patch in his large garden, and with a gentle whinny she allowed him to hop up onto her back and they rode into the town. Immediately the village children came out to say hello. It took longer than twenty minutes to get across town by the time he got to the stables for the goats.

Herding was so natural for Epona that all he needed to do was hold on. He occasionally whooped to send the goats running, and after a short amount of time they were all corralled expertly into the stables.

"Thanks again!" Fado said thankfully, and Link shot him an understanding smile before galloping back home.

* * *

"What to do today...?" Link murmured to himself, in his rarely-used, not-well-rounded voice. He found it easier to use body language, and after all, most people just assumed he was mute. He didn't much care. In a snap decision, he decided it was worth the trip, and after storing a note that he would be away, he collected a nice sack of supplies and stroked Epona's flank fondly before hopping up on his equine friend and beginning the long journey to the Arbiter's Grounds. Even if he knew Midna wouldn't be there, he could always check.

They rode off into the distance for the long trip, ready for what lay ahead.

* * *

The Arbiter's Grounds was a very plain place. Sandy and empty, with pillars and a large central area. He had left Epona down below, knowing her capable of surviving the harshest of situations, and walked up the spiral towards the very place where his friend through the darkness had left.

Standing near where the Mirror of Twilight had been, he stood, gently contemplating the place with the inner peace he had found. And yet he was disturbed.

Something had changed.

A brightness seemed to creep up on him, through the sun had already sunk below the walls of the Grounds, and he let his instinctive habits take over. He held one hand to his sword, his Ordon sword, and the light grew more.

At that point he was totally flabbergasted.

"Midna?"

* * *

"Miss me?" Midna quipped in her usual way, one long, delicate hand rising to her mouth. "Of course you did. You're a good doggie!"

"You know, your childish persona really does NOT match your image," Link commented, groaning inwardly at the (very slightly degrading) nickname. "But that doesn't matter." He raised an eyebrow. "Is Hyrule in danger again?"

"No." She said simply. "You just look really, really bored, so I decided to use the powers I gained from the mirror of Twilight to send you somewhere where you wouldn't be bored."

"Midna." He sighed. "I've spent too much time fighting, I think. I hunger for that, now, even though it pains me to say it. Is there really somewhere like that?"

"Not in Hyrule," she replied readily, twirling a delicate strand of hair with her pinky. "I was thinking other dimensions." She displayed with a regal wave of her hand. "Trust me. It's for the best."

"What about Epona?" Link murmured. "What if Hyrule needs me again?"

"It won't," Midna interjected. "You may not know it, but you are just one of many who are prime to rise to the challenge of defeating Ganondorf. You happened to be the one fate chose, and for that I am happy," Midna admitted. "but there are others who can carry the weight you once did. You are now free, so you should be able..." she gestured once more to the dimensional warp Link remembered, "... to do what really makes you feel alive."

"Fine," Link agreed. "I'll do it." He trusted Midna, and while she was infernally infuriating, she was also very intelligent: she deserved her throne.

"Then step on through."

And step through he did.


	2. Chapter 2

Link was in Void. Void was that place between here and there where there wasn't really much of anything, only pathways to where things were. It was merely a moment before he was abruptly dropped onto the ground. He looked up at the familiar clouds, the sun riding high, the gentle grass below him that tickled his sides as they swayed in the wind.

Then he got up abruptly as he realised he had no idea where in Hyrule he was.

Epona was not there - though if she was where she had been she'd be fine - and all he had was his sack. He was even in his Ordon getup, the baggy, rolled up trousers clinging to his leg just below his knees. He checked his white plain shirt, the leather belt around his waist, the blue material he put where he could for increased comfort.

Standing now, he glanced around at the wide expanse of tall grasses before him. He began a gentle trot through the grass as he walked aimlessly. He could see very faint lights on the horizon, and he followed those, hoping for some explanation there.

Just then, the grasses rustled ominously, and the Ordon boy instinctively reached for his sword...

... to find nothing there at all.

He blinked in brief confusion, then adjusted into his wrestling stance from the days when he challenged the Rock-Men of the mountains, the friendly, if a bit tribal, Goron. The rustling continued, and Link approached carefully, spreading aside the grasses.

There, in the sunlight, lay an unsheathed, silvery sword.

Then the sword blinked.

"Holy-" Link bit off a rude word and leaped back as the sword levitated itself in front of him, one purple eye examining it's new target. Link readied himself for a battle.

" _A warrior soul."_ The ghostly being spoke to him, seemingly relieved. " _Many a human has passed through, impressed by my powerful nature. You, who stand ready without sword yet easily as confident as with... let me be your sword and shield."_ The being promptly approached the scabbard where the legendary Master Sword once lay.

"I'm sorry," Link said gently, not quite sure what to say. "That Scabbard... it belonged to the Master Sword. A legendary sword where I came from."

" _Wonderous. It is an honour to be in the presence of a master swordsman."_ The ghost-sword smield with tis one purple eye, and admirable feat. " _I wish to join you. May I?"_

"I don't see why not. But I warn you; I know nothing of this world, and how it works. There is much I have yet to learn." Link replied, feeling optimistic that ghost-swords did not mean the world was ending, although he hoped it wasn't too normal, either.

" _Thank you,"_ The Ghost-sword said, pleased. " _I can tell you of what you need to know. I am known as a species called Honedge, but you may call me whatever you please."_

"Truly?" Link asked, surprised. "I figured most as intelligent as you would have your own name that you preferred."

" _A compliment indeed!"_ The sword chuckled, levitating beside Link as they began to walk towards the town. " _but most Pokémon prefer to wait for humans. Otherwise they simply are not intelligent enough to realise humans can be our friends. But, I daresay I always liked the sound of Joan."_

"Joan it is, then," Link replied with finality. "It's nice to meet you."

And so, levitating sword and displaced human from another dimension walked towards the town.

* * *

"Now that I think about it, what are Pokémon?" Link asked carefully. "I know it's a fundamental thing here, but..." He shrugged. "Pokémon aren't really a thing where I come from."

" _How bizarre,"_ Joan commented with a hint of surprise. " _Pokémon are everywhere. They are the living things in this world aside from humans."_ Joan made a whistling sound, like a deep breath, before he began.

" _Pokémon are beings, like humans, but are friends and companions to them,"_ Joan explained. " _As partners in life, we fight for each other, help each other in our respective jobs, work together as friends. There are those who do not respect that, and I dearly hope you don't become one of them."_ The Sword rebalanced as a light wind came through. " _Pokémon are often competitive, and to curb this competitiveness, there is such a thing as Pokémon battles, one of many forms of competition in which I excel, and many a child hopes to one day conquer the sport with a trusty team of unbeatable Pokémon."_

"So Pokémon enter competitions of sorts and fight?" Link repeated. "Like wrestling?"

" _An interesting correlation, and it does work,"_ Joan explained, " _But not quite what Pokémon Battles are. Pokémon battles are battles in which the first Pokémon to faint loses. We use 'moves' to attack, which let us defeat our opponents."_

"Moves?" Link found this all very interesting. These Pokémon battles seemed to be in good faith, and in a friendly rivalhood as the Goron Tribes supported, but this 'Moves' concept...

" _We can use moves once a turn,"_ Joan continued. " _And while the most regal of battles follow the one-per-turn rule it is much more of a who-falls-first affair. For example, allow me to enter battle with... hmm. That Espurr over there."_ Joan pointed with the tip of his blade to a small gray biped that was sitting in the grass.

"Really?"

" _Why not?"_ Joan smiled with his eyes and walked over, and after a quick few swishes, the two were in a standoff.

" _Ominous Wind,"_ The Honedge announced, Swishing valiantly. Ghostly energy spread out in a slashing wave, and the Espurr looked quite exhausted. She sent a slap at him, then two or three more, then sighed and raised one paw before stalking away.

" _That was a Pokémon battle, with an intelligent Pokémon."_ Joan explained. " _I used Ominous wind, and the Espurr used Double Slap, another move. She retreated once she realised there was no way to win."_ He sighed a whistling sigh. "L _ess intelligent Pokémon fight until they faint, but they are still fine later."_

"I see," Link said brightly. "It sounds very well sorted."

" _It is,"_ Joan said contemplatively. " _I never noticed that."_

"Hey, what's over there?"

* * *

"So this is... Vaniville, was it?" Link said, glancing around. "It's very quaint. It reminds me of Ordon..." he was slightly sad for a moment, but decided not to be.

" _Is Ordon your home?"_ Joan inquired, understandingly.

Link nodded.

For a few moments they just watched the town, its small collection of residents busying around their day.

" _We should head for Aquacorde Town,"_ Joan advised. " _It is there that you can register me without being accused of stealing, with the Professor. It would be advantageous to avoid such a situation, and from your reaction to Pokémon, you almost definitely haven't yet."_

"I'll admit I didn't think of that," Link admitted. "I hadn't really decided on the legal status of Pokémon yet. Generally where I came from everything was equal in every way to everyone else. Gorons to Hylians... Hylians to Zora... it was all the same."

Joan listened. " _I believe you will have to tell me more about this place of yours. It sounds very... unique, compared to Kalos, even."_

"Let's go," Link decided. "I think I want to see this 'Aquacorde'; it sounds like a nice place."

* * *

Aquacorde was marginally busier than Vaniville, but it was nothing compared to Castle Town in Hyrule, and Link mentally drew a parallel with Kakariko; small, developing, and popular.

He was curious as to the other Hylians around, or at least that's what he called them. They largely ignored him, but he caught the eye of a particular person who quickly began to approach.

" _Stay calm, Link."_ Joan chuckled. " _He's just a professor."_

"Hello!" The man called, sending a hand through his near-black hair. "I haven't seen you around before. That Honedge is yours?"

" _I am," the_ Honedge replied calmly. " _We were hoping to find a professor to register him, to avoid any legal troubles."_ Link privately thanked the goddesses that his new friend was so capable.

"I see. And you are?" The man smiled gently at him, putting him at ease.

"My name is Link," Link introduced himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"No need to be formal," the professor waved it off, catching the shift in tone. "the name's Sycamore, Augustine Sycamore. I help kids start out on Pokémon journeys when I'm not researching evolution or the like."

Link raised a curious eyebrow, but responded simply. "It's nice to meet you, then. What do I need to do to register?" He thought briefly about the slightly foreign word which was quietly new to him, but ignored it for now, trusting that Joan could help explain it later.

"Follow me, just over that bridge into Lumiose. Normally here's where I give kids their first Pokémon, but... well." He gestured to Joan in an explanatory fashion before they got moving again.

After a few minutes of walking Link could barely hold still. There was so much he wanted to ask about this place, which seemed so much like his home and yet so different. He vibrated for a good few minutes before finding something suitable to ask.

"Tell me about the Pokémon you hand out," Link inquired, sighing interally in relief as it was digested well, by Sycamore's expression.

"Well, we normally only give out the standard starters for Kalos," he began.

"Standard Starters?"

"Yes. Fennekin, Chespin, and Froakie." He shook his head. "We've had a shortage recently, so we've been sending out starters from Kanto and Sinnoh too."

Link's head spun as he tried to grasp all these foreign names. Apparently Sycamore noticed his mind-gears turning, because after a minute of careful thinking on Link's part, Sycamore spoke up again.

"Sinnoh and Kanto are regions, although another word is continents." Sycamore explained slowly.

Link sighed in relief. "Sorry, I've never..." he let an alien phrase go over his tongue. "...travelled much."

"Understandable enough," Sycamore accepted, nodding as they went through a tunnel. "I assumed your clothing was a new style at first, but now I look more closely it's quite apparent you're a country boy. You worked on a ranch, maybe?" he inquired cautiously.

"Yes," Link answered gladly. "A herder in a small town called Ordon."

"I see. And considering this is Kalos, probably Gogoat. Impressive." Link felt confused, but endeavored not to show it. "They are occasionally unwieldy with newer folk."

Then, he perked up. "Oh, we're here. Ever been to Lumiose?"

"No," Link replied.

"Then you're in for a treat."


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow."

Link had no more words. He felt a new wonder fill his chest as he took in the view, the feeling similar to the shock and expressed surprise he felt when he first entered Castle town properly. This was more than that, though; Castle Town had taught him that bigger things were possible, that castles and princesses weren't just old wives' tales to the young farmer. Lumiose taught him a whole new lesson.

 _Incredible_ things were possible.

In actuality, the city wasn't bigger than Castle Town. But it certainly looked bigger, because of the serene beauty of it all.

The entire city had shops, fabric laid over the doorways to let passerby protect themselves from weather. No bricks or stone slabs were visible, just this clean simple material which shone in the sun. Large rivers, running through the central avenues.

What was most impressive to Link was the large tower in the center, which towered over everything grandly, its peak flashing occasionally. It was supported by four massive pillars and had triangular and diamond shapes criss-crossing all over its surface.

"Lumiose Tower," Sycamore commented. "The pride of the city."

Link took two steps forward, then leaped back as a whistling sound came from his right. Moments later a fast squarish object flew past at astonishing speeds, much faster than even Epona could have managed. Link gaped at it for a few awed seconds, before spotting a stationary one near a paved walking path.

"You really are a country boy," Sycamore laughed. "Do you even know what a car is?"

"...No." Link admitted sheepishly, but a smile danced on his face. This was...

this was AWESOME.

"What are they?"

"Well, they're transport. Like riding a Pokémon, but much faster. Some still prefer Pokémon because it's more comfortable, but it's really up to the person." Sycamore explained. Link considered for a moment, before deciding that there were Pokémon that were the equivalent of horses here.

He wanted one.

"Well then, enough gawking for a day," Sycamore decided, clapping his hands together. "Let's get to the lab." Link nodded and followed Sycamore down the city streets, making sure to pay close attention... to the cars.

* * *

Inside a building Link swore was as beautiful as the outside, he sat down on what felt like leather and velvet, and feeling very much like a king waited patiently for his registration to complete. Only minutes later he was handed a multitude of things which Sycamore went through in turn.

"Here's your trainer card, don't loose it." He insisted, pushing it into Link's hands. "It lets you access the services of the Pokémon Center." Link decided to ask about that when they were done.

A tray of red circular objects were next, and Link picked up one and inspected it until Sycamore explained.

"Those are your Poké balls. They'll be keyed to Pokémon who join you, so that no one can steal them or blame you of doing as such." Link nodded seriously and showed it to Joan, who wobbled in midair before touching a raised portion. It made a click sound, and he was enveloped in red light before vanishing entirely.

"Wha-"

Joan reappeared in a flash of white light, like nothing had happened.

Link _definitely_ needed to do some research.

One of the last things was a red square with a blue portion. Link moved to hold it, gripping it by a slightly lowered area, and the object beeped.

" _Hello!"_

"What in the-"

" _I am Dexxa, your personal Pokédex. I can tell you about any Pokémon you meet!"_ the machine beeped.

"Is it a Pokémon?" Link inquired carefully as the machine lay on the table, now silent.

Sycamore laughed good-naturedly. "No, it's a Pokédex. We use them to tell us about a Pokémon we haven't met before, or to use in communication."

"Communication?" Link repeated dubiously. "How?"

"Like this, watch." Sycamore grabbed a blue version of Dexxa from his pocket, and after tapping at what Link thought was thin air, he held out Dexxa to Link.

Grabbing it, Link tried to hold it in the same way Sycamore had, with each hand on the solid red bit. After a moment, a light flashed out, and a bluish-whitish version of Sycamore was popping out of his Pokédex.

"Whoah." He watched as Sycamore waved, and the blue-white Sycamore did the exact same. A few moments later, Sycamore touched his Pokédex, and the projection melted away. "That was so weird!"

"Well," Sycamore chuckled, "I'm sure you can figure it out between Joan and yourself."

" _Indeed,"_ The sword, who had been silent for quite a while, replied. " _I will be sure to help him along. And that he calls you."_

"Oh, that reminds me," Sycamore said. "I know you probably want to get going, but do you mind sticking around for the day? You can stay in a spare room overnight."

"Sure," Link replied, after a brief glance at Joan for reassurance. "I have no problem with that."

"Oh, good," Sycamore said, relieved. "I was hoping you'd say that. See, there's a Gogoat who hasn't been feeling well lately, and..."

" _Help him,"_ Joan advised. " _You should be fine."_ Link nodded, got up, and followed Sycamore into another room.

* * *

"This is the greenhouse," Sycamore announced proudly. "It's home to our resident Pokémon. Gogoat is over there." He pointed to a large green-tan Pokémon which Link studied carefully as he approached.

Gogoat were very, very large, perhaps the size of three small Gorons. Large charcoal-coloured hooves supported a tall, goat-like Pokémon with a thick pelt over his back and sides which reminded Link strongly of leaves in the Faron woods. Gentle brown eyes peered out from a very well-defined snout, and two magnificent horns twirled up from the Gogoat's head. Link gained confidence as he saw more and more similarities with the goats back home.

It snorted as Link approached, making Sycamore flinch, but Link continued, confident in the goat-handling skills he'd developed since youth. He laid his hands on the grassy pelt, which felt more and more like a bed of Faron leaves, and he watched the Gogoat's eyes as he slowly got used to the idea of Link being there. Moving on, Link knelt down to gently inspect the Pokémon's hooves, then its legs, then the pelt itself, before staring the Gogoat in the eye with curiosity. The Gogoat turned to look back and sniff a section of its pelt, which Link moved to and began to check.

"Oh, I see," Link said after a moment. "It looks like some sort of... Dart. Was he hunted?" Link asked as he pulled gently at the skin around the puncture, slowly preparing for pulling out the dart.

Sycamore looked shocked. "Hunted? We weren't aware of... have some gloves," Sycamore interrupted himself, grabbing Link's hands and pushing on some rubber gloves. "I need to alert officer Jenny. Make sure nothing touches the dart until I'm back, put it in one of the gloves or something." He ran off in a panic.

Link blinked, then turned back to teasing at the skin, using his other hand to stroke the Gogoat's fur further up his neck. This served as enough of a distraction for the Gogoat to let Link pull out the loosened dart, and he pulled off a glove and dropped the dart into the glove just as Sycamore and this 'officer' arrived.

The officer turned out to be a tall, pretty woman dressed in formal reds and blues and wearing a very short skirt which made Link slightly uncomfortable. She immediately came up to him.

"Where's this dart Gogoat had?" She asked seriously, in tones of deep distrust and upset.

"Here," Link showed her. "I didn't let anyone touch it, like Sycamore asked." Sycamore nodded respectfully as she took the dart off of him.

"Thank you for helping Gogoat," she said honestly. "There are a lot in Lumiose, and it's important to know who did this." Link nodded dubiously as the officer saluted to Sycamore before running off to wherever she came from.

"Come on, let's get to bed," Sycamore said, sighing. "I think I've had enough action for a day. Follow me." he led Link away up to the second floor, then into a very nice room (which was far better than any he'd seen before) and let him be to do as he saw fit.

* * *

Sleep was easy to begin. He merely lay on the bed and let dreamland approach, feeling all the tired feelings drain away. He dreamed of Epona running alongside a Gogoat into the sunset, and wondered how Ilia would have reacted to the large goat-like creature. She liked animals a bit too much, in his opinion. She spent her life on them instead of her family and friends.

But sleep was interrupted.

Joan was good at waking Link up, surprising for a man who'd never been woken before. He blinked as moonlight was reflected into his eyes, and he snapped into awareness as he heard a rustling sound nearby, in his room.

He let his eyes dart about the room, but remained still. Joan noticed this and stopped sending moonbeams at him. He heard the sounds again and his eyes locked onto a small, vaguely orange form hanging out near the closet. It was barely over the rim of his boot in height, and as he watched, it skittered over to the edge of his bed and began to struggle to get up. Link pointed to the light switch, and Joan obliged by hovering silently over to the switch and bumping it gently.

The creature jumped in shock and fell on its back as the light flooded the room.

Link got up and held the creature around the waist, studying it carefully. It reminded him strongly of the small female monkey he met in the forest temple long ago, but it had orange fur and a wisp of fur poking up at the tip of its head. Its belly was a tan colour, and it looked up at him with large, begging blue eyes.

Link sighed and put it down on the bed briefly, while considering what to do.

" _Link, that is a Pokémon called Chimchar. I suggest using Dexxa to find out more about it."_ Joan suggested. Link grabbed the Pokédex off the table and held it towards the monkey, tapping the screen.

It immediately flashed to life, blue light glowing, as it began to read out a short description of the small, curious Pokémon.

" _Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon,"_ Dexxa said in a cheery voice. " _Its fiery rear end is fueled by gasses made in its belly. It never goes out, even in the rain."_ Link looked over at the Chimchar, who promptly flashed to life with a small flame on its rear.

"Well then, Chimchar, what are you doing here, huh?" Link asked, holding a hand out. It grabbed his hand and smiled at him hopefully.

" _I believe it is one of the supplement starters sent here from Sinnoh,"_ Joan mused. " _She seems to like you particularly."_ the fire monkey grinned and hopped up and down, still holding Link's hands.

"Oh well," Link sighed. "Let's just go to bed. We can figure this out in the morning." Link promptly climbed into bed and left Joan to deal with the Chimchar.

" _Don't mess with me to get to him,"_ Link heard Joan tell the Chimchar. " _Just because I happen to be part steel doesn't mean you are in any way able to defeat me."_ He heard the sound of a surprised fire-monkey before he drifted off.


	4. Chapter 4

When Link woke up again, he was faintly reminded of the time he passed out in the forest temple. It wasn't the fact that the light was dim, or that he heard vaguely familiar sounds nearby. It wasn't even the suspiciously large number of leaves on his bed and above him to his right. It was the feeling of a small simian creature resting on his chest.

He automatically reached for the scruff of its neck and dropped it to one side of him before he stretched and got out of bed himself. He was barely done swinging his legs over the side when his head collided with what felt like the canopy of the Faron Woods.

"Eeeeh?"

"Huh?" Link looked down to one side to see the simian creature from the night before looking up at him.

"Eeeeh!"

"Um... hi?"

The creature - _a Chimchar, that was it -_ hopped from one leg to the other, grinning and communicating in little spurts of joyous chatter. Joan patted Link's shoulder with his single scarf-like hand.

" _I believe she and her evolved companion wish to join us. Shall we ask Sycamore for permission?"_

"I see you assume that I've already made my decision over this..." Link said, but a smile gave away his thoughts. He idly reached out one hand to the small chimp, who grabbed it, then took the liberty of climbing up onto his shoulder.

Link stretched, and blinked as he looked at the door, where the large Gogoat from the other day stood. He blinked, then went over what Joan had said, before shaking his head and giving up. "Joan, just tell me about evolution while I wake up."

" _Of course. Evolution is a process that Pokémon can go through. It allows them to become stronger, more capable, and almost always larger."_

"Almost always?"

" _There are some mild cases of shrinking, like with Gloom when they become Bellossom,"_ Joan explained, " _but others are quite extreme, though none come immediately to mind."_

"Curious."

* * *

Link had been downstairs for just under an hour when Sycamore got downstairs. He seemed a bit downcast by the Pokémon around Link, but he lost the look quickly.

"Chimchar, Gogoat, what did I say about leaving the Greenhouse without permission?" Sycamore scolded them. Both hung their heads gently. "At least you know what you did."

"I think they wanted to come with me," Link admitted. "Chimchar especially. She was in my room since midnight." The Chimchar perked up and wandered over, using her knuckles for support, and hopped into his lap cheerfully.

"Eeeh, eeh!" she squealed happily.

Sycamore sighed. "Go ahead, take her with you. She seems to like you a lot." Link sent him a thankful smile, but the moment was interrupted by Gogoat nudging Sycamore gently.

"You too?" Sycamore said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Alright. Go ahead." Gogoat snorted in what was probably a thankful manner for him, before grabbing something from Sycamore and giving them to Link.

"Pokéballs?" Link inquired, taking them. He noticed a dim light around the edges of the button.

"They belong to those two," Sycamore explained. "They can be carried around inside them."

"How does that work?" Link wondered, mostly to himself. To display, Gogoat poked his pokéball, and a flash of red light engulfed him, before he disappeared into the pokéball entirely. Then a flash of white and he was out again.

"Oh yeah, I think Joan did that yesterday. Right..." Gogoat sent him a smile before returning himself.

"I suggest you head out to Santalune, the city we passed through when you got here the other day," Sycamore advised him. "You can train on the way there, and Viola is probably a good starting point for you." Link raised an eyebrow, but didn't bother to question it. Instead, he picked up his bag, thanked the Professor profusely, and got on his way back to where he had come.

* * *

"So, let's see," Link murmured, as Chimchar hung out on his shoulder. "Santalune is... that way." He pointed, more for his own benefit, then put away the map. He laughed as his Chimchar climbed onto his head and began to giggle herself.

"So... what name to give you?" Link considered, looking at his passenger. She tilted her head, considering. Then, in a burst of power, she jumped off his head and ran for a patch of flowers not far away.

"Hey, wait up!" Link called, forgetting that he had her Pokéball for the time being. She was already reaching through the flowers, and not much later, she picked up a bright red one and showed it to him.

Link was about to guess when a small white head popped out of the flower. He leaped back, then approached again, taking a closer look.

The small white creature was almost like a bug, but gave off a different vibe, more like the fairies he had met on his journeys. He reached out and touched the small creature, feeling safe, and two little hands reached out and grabbed his finger.

"Flaa?" is said, voice gentle as the wind. Link smiled at her - she reminded him more and more of the fairies he met on his journey. In a way, it was the call of home that soothed him, though most of his life there had been one of chaos and unrest.

"Hello, little white fairy," Link said, being quiet as he could. The small white creature gave him an appraising glance, before she turned to Chimchar.

"Flaaa..." She pointed.

Chimchar looked downcast, but took the flower back to where she found it. Then she merely pointed at it.

"Eeh!"

"Hm." Link considered. Then, with an idea going through his head, he suggested, "How about Rose?"

"Eeeh!" Rose celebrated, dancing about, before hopping back onto Link's shoulder.

"Oh, that reminds me," Link said to himself, pulling out Dexxa. He pointed the machine at the small white fairy.

" _Flabébé, the single bloom Pokémon,"_ Dexxa rang out in her electronic voice. " _It chooses a flower at the beginning of its life and dwells on it its whole life. It floats on the wind with an untroubled heart."_ Link smiled at that description and decided to leave the small Pokémon to her flower.

* * *

Santalune wasn't the biggest town out there, but then again, the only civilized places Link had been to that were bigger were Castle Town, Lumiose and the Zora Domain, and that was saying something.

He made sure to check with Joan about everything he did. He didn't really know this place, after all. After wandering slightly aimlessly for a few minutes, he found a tall statue pouring water into a fountain.

"Reminds me of Castle Town Square..." Link murmured, stretching to touch it. He stopped, but Joan wobbled, something Link had quickly learned was how he said it was okay wordlessly.

He pulled his now-wet hand away.

" _That statue is of a Pokémon called Roselia."_ Joan commented.

"Roselia, huh?" Link stared. "Sounds... friendly."

" _They often are, to those they trust,"_ Joan said. " _Before I became a Honedge, the royal Gardeners would have Roselia hide among the roses to attack anyone who tried to steal them. Often young boys would try and take some for a lady they were fond of."_ Link laughed, then considered for a moment.

"Before you were a Honedge?" Link queried.

" _Yes."_ Joan said, closing his eye. " _Not all Pokémon are born, exactly. I, for one, was created. A soul that possessed a sword to continue to protect the living. Although, many Pokémon, including my species, can reproduce anyway."_

"I.. see." Link decided not to probe further into the subject, instead sitting down on a nearby bench and releasing Rose and his Gogoat.

"Gogoat?"

Gogoat snorted curiously.

"Would you also like a nickname?"

Gogoat considered. Then, nodding firmly, he mumbled something at Joan.

" _He says he would like you to decide a name."_ Joan translated helpfully.

"Okay." Link agreed. He considered deeply for a moment, then decided that, as one of his first friends here, it was appropriate.

"I think I'll call you Ordon."

The newly-named Ordon nodded, a small smile playing on his muzzle. Rose and he leaned into a scratch soon after that.

"It's getting late," Link said after spending the day wandering. "The Pokémon Center has free lodgings, right?"

* * *

Link was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the rooms were. He'd expected something slightly less... well, slightly less perfect. He could barely credit how amazing this world was.

Of course, that set him to thinking.

 _I wonder what Midna meant,_ he considered, resting his head on his hands as he stared up at the ceiling. _I mean, she wouldn't send me here for nothing. She's not that kind of person. While I'm glad for the break... there's probably something I'm supposed to be doing._

He glanced down at the three new friends he'd made, and smiled to himself. _Ah well. At least I'm not alone.  
_ _I don't think I could live with that._

He stared out the picturesque window in consideration, watching the Moon move silently through the sky. _I wonder. There has to be a reason..._

He broke out of his thoughts when he heard an alien cry. Leaping out of bed, he reached instinctively for where his sword normally lay, but grasped at thin air as he ran to the window. Looking out, he tried desperately to try and find the source of the obscure cry.

 _Waaaaoohhhh..._

Link let out a heavy set of breaths as his well-trained eyes searched frantically for movement. After a few seconds, his eye caught sight of something in the distance, something flying past the moon with a trail of glimmering stardust behind it.

It slowed down, almost as if to let him see it for a moment longer. The blues on its belly, the yellows of its back. The crescent-shaped head, which reared back as it let out another haunting cry.

 _Waaaaooohhhhh!_

Then, its job done, it disappeared, only the vague shimmering from the rings around it left behind.

 _There's a lot I have yet to learn about the world,_ Link thought, eye glowing with excitement. _I think I like this place a lot._

 _At least I have no shortage of excitement!_


	5. Chapter 5

Link liked mornings. He had ways to make the most of sleep, so mornings were always incredibly refreshing. Stretching from his bed in the Santalune Pokémon center, he picked up his bag and poked Joan to wake him up.

" _Morning, Link,"_ Joan yawned, a strange hollow sound which Link found similar to the howling stones scattered across Hyrule. " _Do you have a plan for today?"_

"No, actually," Link admitted. "I didn't think about it. Usually adventure finds me."

Joan wobbled in understanding. " _It sounds like your life has been filled with adventure. May I suggest some training? There is a suitable park nearby."_

"Training?" Link repeated. "Sounds fun. What're we training for, actually? Just for fun?"

" _Ah."_ Joan said in tones of realisation. " _Of course, you don't know. Allow me to explain the concept of the Pokémon league while we make our way to the park."_ Link nodded, collecting his pack and his small number of things before leaving the room and walking outside.

" _The Pokémon league is a large competition between Trainers, people who have Pokémon companions and decide to participate. They require you collect symbols of your prowess in the form of Gym Badges, which can be won from certain individuals known as Gym Leaders."_ He shooed away a small grey Pokémon with a swish that sent out power visible to the naked eye. It reminded Link of a rabbit, but he was sure there was another name for it.

"Go on," Link urged.

" _Even those who don't intend to challenge the league, only travel, make an effort to defeat all the Gym Leaders, because it allows them to use significantly useful moves without challenge of their skill and responsibility. In simpler terms, if someone judges you worthy of a badge, you're responsible enough to use field moves that can alter the environment. Moving boulders, cutting down trees... the ability to do so relies on whether or not you have badges."_

"That's interesting," Link admitted. "I live somewhere where people don't usually question that. It's just something people do, which is probably why I frequently was the victim of wrongdoers, now that I think about it." He thought for a moment. "So we're training for the Pokémon league?"

" _If you want to take the challenge,"_ Joan confirmed. " _Though you need to defeat Viola to get through to Cyllage City anyway."_

"Viola?" Link inquired as they arrived at the park. "Who's that?"

" _The local Gym Leader,"_ Joan replied. " _If I'm right, there should be info on all the gym leaders on Dexxa. Why not ask?"_

"Right," Link nodded, thankful that getting a bit of information did not involve traveling across the country to retrieve an item or the like. Holding Dexxa in front of him, he quickly figured out who Viola was.

"So she's... a Bug-type specialist." Link paused. "What's a 'bug-type'?"

" _Oh, yes, the types."_ Joan did his customary wobble-nod. " _Each Pokémon has one or two types, and this defines what they are weak to and what they are strong against, among other things."_ Joan considered. " _For example, Rose is a fire-type Pokémon, and Ominous Wind is a Ghost-type move. I, myself, am one of the most defensive types, Ghost and Steel. Ordon is a Grass type Pokémon. Types can also change during evolution."_

"Interesting," Link murmured, finding he could check type effectiveness on Dexxa. "Dexxa really is useful, actually. It's awesome how much information is in such a small object."

" _Thank You!"_ Dexxa chimed, making Link jump visibly. He relaxed, sighing, and let out his other two Pokémon.

"Eeeeh! Eeh!" Rose exclaimed, hopping around and eventually landing on his lap.

" _She is excited to see you, and asks what you intend to do."_ Joan translated helpfully.

Link chuckled. "Training, at Joan's suggestion. Any ideas?" Both of the recently sent out Pokémon considered in silence.

Ordon looked up, turned to Joan, and grunted a bit. Joan waggled in agreement.

" _True,"_ he said, in tones of admittance. " _But Link is the only one here big enough to have a chance. You are pretty large, you know."_ Ordon seemed to consider something.

"What did he suggest?" Link asked, pulling his eyes away from the adorable image of Rose gesturing wildly to thin air as she considered different training tactics.

" _That he practice a move known as Tackle."_ He wobbled. " _As well as its variants. He suggested that he charge at someone and practice overpowering them, but I pointed out that he can overpower almost anyone."_ Link felt a familiar smile creep up his face.

"I think there's a way he can learn something new," Link said. Getting up, he found a stray stick and marked a circle. He tapped Ordon's shoulder to get his attention.

Ordon turned and paid attention.

"Here, see this circle?" Link pointed with the stick. Ordon nodded understanding. "I'm going to face you, one-on-one. The goal is to push me out of the circle. Don't worry, I'm strong enough that a little push won't be much." Ordon nodded dubiously, and took stance on one side of the marked circle, while Link did the same.

Counting down with his fingers, he reached the last one, then nodded, and Ordon broke into a powerful charge.

Link sidestepped, and Ordon had to skid over a few feet of ground to stop. He trotted back with an embarrassed look on his muzzle, which grew as Rose giggled into her hands.

"Don't worry about it," Link advised. "Do you know what happened there?" Ordon nodded.

"Then, let's try again." Link stood back where he was, and the two set up again.

"Go!"

This time, Ordon faltered in his advance, trying not to let his lunges throw him out of the circle. After a few misses, Ordon started to look frustrated, and hooked Link under his arms using his horns.

"Aha," Link murmured, smiling broadly, before gripping Ordon's horns and swinging him bodily out of the circle.

THUMP!

"Good Job! Better luck next time, Ordon, there's still training to do!" Link called as Ordon shook himself furiously to get the dirt out of his pelt. With an annoyed look, he walked back to the circle and patted the ground insistently.

"One second, Ordon, let me sort out training for Rose first." Link laughed, before walking over.

"So, Rose, what do you want to do for training?" Link inquired.

Rose looked up and blinked for a few seconds, before grabbing the stick from out in the field and drawing some pictures in the ground.

"Uh, y'know Joan can translate," Link hinted.

Rose giggled with heat on her cheeks and let out a series of squeaky chatter to Joan.

" _She claims that she is okay with anything, but that she would like to try an obstacle course or target practice. Capital ideas."_ Joan said, and Rose smiled up at Link expectantly.

"Hmm..." Link considered. "Oh, I know. Give me a few minutes, okay? In the meantime, work with Joan on some moves. I'll call you over when I'm ready." Rose nodded eagerly and hopped over to Joan.

Link swore he heard Joan change his tone and begin to lecture Rose on different elemental attacks, and he chuckled before walking off to collect some wood.

* * *

He was nearly done, and he was rather proud of himself.

The field was the set for a new obstacle course, which Link thought looked pretty good. He had some targets that Rose was supposed to hit with a makeshift stamp made with sap (courtesy Ordon, though Link shivered to think how it was made) and a piece of whittled wood. She took the stamp eagerly and ran through the course again and again with enthusiasm, hitting the targets and dashing through faster and faster. Link was sure to have her switch direction occasionally, just to make sure memorization wasn't the bulk of her success.

Link returned to sparring with Ordon, and it was a long time before their next interruption made itself known.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I don't have much time to write any more.

I like to have reader input on my stories, so... have a question! Answer via PM or in the reviews.

I have a plan to include a character from the main series games/anime, so I want to have my readers choose who. We've got three options:

Amber Fuji (Mewtwo backstory - look it up, you might find you're fond of her)

Courtney (Team Magma admin - this is my pending favourite for this role)

Cynthia (Sinnoh Elite four!)

Tell me who you'd like to be the next character. Whoever wins will stick around for the rest of the story. Fun times.

Catcha later!


	6. Chapter 6

"Bravo, bravo," a child's voice floated over, and Link paused reluctantly before waving Ordon off and turning to face the one who had addressed him.

She was small, with wispy blue hair and a simple white dress. Bright blue eyes studied him, and he noticed the deathly grey of her skin as she stepped closer, her sandals making barely a sound as they forged a path through the grass. She seemed like a picture of innocence, but he felt his insides do a flip as he saw her shadow.

 _Midna!_

"Hehehe..." Midna laughed, and the girl turned to look at Midna, who was once again as Link remembered her - small and floating, with a stone mask covering one eye, she laughed eerily as her levitation shivered. In her own dimension, she would have had runic magic surrounding her limbs and her skin would have been a curvy mottled black-and-white, but since this wasn't her dimension, all he could see of her was a shadow with one orange eye, hiding behind the girl.

"Miss Midna?" the girl asked, clearing her throat.

"Sorry, Amber," Midna laughed, tapping the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry. Link is a good doggy."

Link's eyebrow visibly twitched.

"Okay then," Amber decided. "Mister Link?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Miss Midna said you could help me." Amber explained.

Link nodded dubiously. "What do you need?"

"Do you know about a Pokémon named Mewtwo?" she inquired.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't seen one yet," Link admitted. "Is this Mewtwo important to you?"

"He's like a brother, but not quite," Amber explained. "I... was experimented on, and only with Midna's help was I able to... come back," Amber said vaguely. "I want to see him again. It would tear him apart if he thought I was gone."

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Link promised, patting her on the head instinctively. There was something indescribably sweet about this child that made him feel all fluffy inside.

Midna hopped from one shadow to the next, hanging out on Link's shoulder.

"Well then," She said in her disembodied voice. "What say you about having us join you?"

"I don't see why not," Link admitted, "but why?"

"Well..." Midna looked dodgy.

"Miss Midna doesn't want to admit that she placed a tracker on you, and that she has no idea where we are or where to go." Amber said, smiling gently.

Midna looked legitimately embarrassed, but she soon found a distraction.

"Ow!"

Rose had just jumped onto Midna's back, and was promptly tossed back with a panicked swing of Midna's hair (Link could never quite get the confidence to ask if it was actually hair; he was glad to simply think it was and not ask questions). She was about to sigh in relief when Rose hopped up onto Link's other shoulder and stared at her in wonder.

"Oooh!" Rose chittered excitedly, pointing at Midna.

"Yes, yes, I'm partially invisible, you would have seen me if you'd looked where you were going," Midna grumbled, though Link assumed whatever Rose had said flattered her.

Joan interrupted the moment. " _If Mewtwo is anywhere in Kalos, we ought to be able to find him. Link is taking the Gym Challenge."_

"There isn't time for that!" Midna protested, astonished. "We ought to go right away-"

"We need to have the badges to actually traverse the land anyway," Link interrupted. "Would you be happier if I got the first one right away? Then we could keep going."

"Right," Midna grumbled. "Ugh, why can't it work like it does in Hyrule and the Twilight Zone?!"

"Because this is Kalos?" Amber suggested.

Midna was too cautious with the young girl to speak in an uncouth manner towards her, which was a new idea for Link.

" _It's this way,"_ Joan pointed, and Midna rushed off without a second thought. Link shrugged, signalled to Amber, and ran after her.

* * *

Viola's gym was an interesting place. It managed to stay out of the way while being larger than most of the buildings in the entire township.

"So this is Viola's gym?" Link inquired.

"Yes!" The man at the entrance, in an elaborate suit, rubbed his hands together in excitement before spinning off an entire spiel about Viola. Link tuned most of it out, instead paying attention to the string of spider-ish silk. It looked stronger than any he'd seen before.

"C'mon!" Midna cried, rushing forward and floating down. Luckily, the disembodied voice was applied to Amber, who was already swinging her way down. Link nodded to the suited man and followed.

They dropped down.

"Woah..." Amber awed, looking around at the tightrope maze. "So cool!" She pranced from string to string, balancing on them with expert care. Link followed, calling on his skills to help him across. After a minute, he decided to let Amber find the solution, seeing as she was enjoying herself. He was particularly optimistic about how colour seemed to be returning to her face.

It took about twenty minutes, but with a triumphant hop she stood proudly on a platform in a brighter part of the room, where Viola stood.

Viola lifted a black box to her eye, and Link closed in to investigate. A few moments later she lowered it again.

"Move a bit, will you?" She asked with slight tones of annoyance. Link complied, and a few moments later there was a bright flash.

"Ahh, good. You didn't ruin the photo," Viola sighed. Link hesitated.

"Well?"

"Um... what's that black box there, around your neck?" Link inquired seriously.

Viola laughed, but it died out as she realised he was totally serious. Midna whispered something in Amber's ear, and a few seconds later, she said, "He's a country boy."

"Right," Viola blinked, then relaxed. "Yeah, this is my camera. Look at this," She pointed to the shiny hole on the front, "and don't blink." She raised it to her eye again and the bright flash nearly blinded him. A few moments later she walked over and showed him the other side.

There was a screen, and on the screen was a static copy of Link.

"How?" Link asked eagerly. "It looks just like me!"

"The camera does it," Viola explained."It can take pictures of anything that I see in the viewfinder. So I look through the viewfinder, and I snap a picture, and 'Voila!' A picture!" SHe giggled. "I can't believe you don't know this, cameras are so common nowadays."

"As I said," Amber repeated, "he's a country boy."

"Yes, right," she nodded, putting down the camera to rest on her chest like a necklace. "Well, I suppose one of you is here to challenge me?"

"Yes, I am," Link confirmed. "Although it is my first battle, I'm pretty confident."

"I see," Viola considered. "Alright, I can explain the rules, too. So, stand over there, in the white box drawn on the floor. The little one." he walked over to it and did so, and she walked to the one on the opposing side.

"In a Pokémon battle, any number of rules can apply. I'll explain the ones here." She grinned. "The battle is two versus two, No switching is allowed until there is a victor between the two Pokémon on the field. Send out your first Pokémon!" Link nodded, and with a swift motion he released Chimchar, who nodded and ran out into the field, while Viola threw her ball right at the ground in front of her in a swift, practised motion. Link watched as her Pokémon was released and she put her hand out to catch the ball - which, apparently, could bounce.

And, in the sudden moments that ensued, Link became stressed as much as he had been when he had been fighting the strongest Monsters in Hyrule. He almost panicked, but Chimchar sent him a reassuring look, and he let his stress level decrease from 'life-threatening battle' to merely 'overwhelmed'.

And, of course, when her started telling her attacks, he didn't say it out loud.

Link, being a well-known one for giving people the silent treatment when under stress, had learned sign language. And that's what he did.

Miracle of all miracles, Chimchar knew sign language. Benefits of having a hatched Pokémon, perhaps.

By frequently doing running checks, she could take commands, and the Vivillon couldn't even predict what was going to happen next. The large, creepy butterfly swung around Chimchar in circles in attempts to have her scales touch Rose, and Rose kept burning them away with her sheer body heat. Link pointed hurriedly when he saw an opportunity, quickly sending out a message.

B-U-R-N T-H-E P-O-W-D-E-R

Chimchar nodded excitedly and sent a wisp of flame at a cloud of scales that should have completely missed Vivillon, who had already flown out of reach again. Instead, the wisp caught the scales and a fire started dancing it sway up the path of discarded powder into Vivillon, who despite her best efforts couldn't possibly avoid something that would home in on her no matter what.

She fell, coughed, and raised a small arm.

"Vivillon says she would like to not do that again," Viola announced helpfully. "Or at least, I think that's why she's forfeiting. Are you going to recall your Chimchar?" she asked sweetly.

Link considered. Rose had actually taken a bit of damage from the constant array of attacks that Viola's Vivillon had sent. If he continued, Rose was likely to go down to whatever she had in her mind to send out, so he decided that Ordon could muscle his way through a few bugs and returned Rose.

"Oh?" Viola smiled. "Alright, then." With a smile, she threw her Pokéball, while Ordon released himself and walked out onto the battlefield.

"Well, darn," Viola laughed. Her Surskit sighed. "I was thinking that I'd trick you into keeping Rose on the field... but it seems you've already outsmarted me. Oh well." She paused, as Ordon pawed the ground impatiently. "To be honest, most people don't have a fully-evolved Pokémon so early in their journey. Most will act out on their trainers until they have proof of your strength, like gym badges. If you don't have any..."

Ordon snorted.

Joan released himself, and translated, " _He says that he trusts Link, not just because he is intelligent, but because he is fully capable of lifting a Gogoat over his head and throwing it a good fifty meters. Which I have witnessed, so it's true, he is that oddly powerful."_ Link blushed momentarily at the praise, but returned to the fight at hand.

Ordon sniffed, took a few steps forward, and shook. some static build up, and he pawed the ground, glaring at the small bug. It screamed in one of the highest-pitched voices Link'd ever heard, glared at Viola, and returned itself.

"Right," Viola held out the Pokémon's Ball. "Right. Well, I have to say, I'm sure you're strong enough - and smart enough - to protect yourself. Here, catch." She threw a small brown-and-green badge to him, which he caught, and held up to the light.

"Cool!" Link decided, staring at it happily. "What does it do?"

Viola stared blankly, then shook her head. "It's, uh, proof. Proof that you are strong enough to handle this move," she explained, handing him a CD. "This is a TM, you can use it to teach new moves to your Pokémon. The move this one teaches lets you cut down trees." He took it and stared at both of them in wonder.

"I'm sorry," Amber said on cue from Midna. "He's always been like this, and he doesn't mean anything by it."

"I see," Viola smiled.

* * *

A/N: I got bored, I accidentally wrote another chapter. Okay, that works. Here you go.

Reviews are always appreciated, I read them all!


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